Much to the dismay of amateur and professional astronomers as well as many within the general public, the problem of light pollution and light trespass has increased with the development of land and increased population densities in urban and suburban areas. In many areas, the night sky is no longer dark. A halo of lost light hangs over many urban and suburban areas. Many homeowners, city planners and architects continue the installation of multiple, poorly-shielded or non-shielded outdoor lighting fixtures for the illumination of residential structures, commercial buildings, streets, and parking lots. Therefore, as more improper light fixtures are installed, the night sky is slowly becoming less dark.
Many municipalities across the U.S. currently require new outdoor illumination to meet full light cut-off specifications through local ordinance (i.e., Boulder, Colo.; Madison, Wis.; Tucson, Ariz.; and San Diego, Calif.). Typically, municipal ordinances also address existing non-compliant lighting with a requirement for retrofit by a specific future date. Historically, the problem has been solved with the use of a shielded fixture, or light shade in which a bulb is inserted.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,083,307 entitled “Light Directing Assembly for Preventing Light Pollution” to Galgon and D'Andrea describes a light fixture for a downward facing light bulb which comprises a shield at the top of the fixture where the bulb is inserted and a shade like apparatus which wraps around the bulb.
The present invention, however, takes a different approach, providing a self-contained, sealed bulb assembly which requires no additional fixture or shade to transform a standard lighting apparatus to one which produces no light pollution and prevents light trespass. Simply install the present invention in a standard light fixture the same as you would any light bulb and the present invention converts the non-compliant light fixture into a compliant fixture.